Good Christmas
by Tess 4 5
Summary: A collection of ideas woven together into a little fluffy kitschy Christmas story.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's usual notes and disclaimer:** I don't own any of the original characters nor the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries – they belong to Elizabeth George and the BBC. I have borrowed the characters from the TV-Show and solely own the ideas of _my_ stories and the developments _I've_ let them go through.

Please write a **P** rivate **M** essage if I did something terribly wrong so I can fix it. Thanks!

Please read and review! More thanks!

* * *

 **Author's note and summary:** A collection of ideas woven together into a little fluffy kitschy Christmas story. If this at any point turns kinky it's all Nkata's fault. I swear! ;-)

Enjoy...

* * *

 **.**

 **Good Christmas  
**

 **.**

* * *

The black man with a brown furry overall whistled. When he nodded, the tiny bells at his fake reindeer antlers joyfully jingled. He had a soft red nose stuck in the middle of his face and looked rather funny.

"Woohoo!" he rejoiced. "What a nice bottom!"

The not so white but still rather dark haired man with a soft and neatly trimmed full beard turned his head. He was wearing a fluffy red and white coat with a big belt, red trousers and huge black boots. And of course a red and white hat.

"Oh, really! Constable!" he reproached Rudolph. Santa Claus briefly looked in the direction the young man's eyes pointed to before he continued his reading of a health magazine. It was just for a second. Then his eyes darted back to the backside of the figure of a woman with short and blonde hair, lopsidedly topped with an interesting small red and white fur hat. She also wore a red and white dress and green ringed woolly tight pants. Her feet were in short black leather boots with only small heels but Santa did not see the shoes. The dress was quite short and belted in the middle and it surely did not hide how female and well-proportioned the woman was. Not too provocative but still slightly indecent it really was a sight to look at. Santa stroked his pillow-stuffed belly and showed an approving grin nodding towards the black reindeer. "Well, umm... yes, you might be right."

He tilted his head and sized her up again. There were a few Santas and Mrs Santas, Rudolphs, elves and even an angel standing in the entrance hall waiting for the signal to leave to their respective destinations but this Mrs Santa - or was she an elf? - with her funny pointed ears had by far the best figure, Santa thought to himself.

Rudolph grinned at his boss for a moment. Then he whistled calling. "Hey, Barbie, we're over here!"

* * *

The elvish Mrs Santa turned around and happily smiled. She waved a hand and walked across the hall towards the men. The little fur head with a snowball on a spiral of wire bobbed up and down. Her walk was firm but still gracefully swaying. Santa's jaw almost dropped. For a second his mind even left this room. He swallowed. His face turned beet red and Rudolph had to laugh real hard watching him watching her.

"Good evening, Sir! Well, well, Winnie!" Mrs Santa addressed Rudolph with an approving smile. "You look cute!"

"Oh, thanks, _Mrs_ Santa!" DC Winston Nkata emphasised the term of address. "You look rather cute yourself!"

Santa Claus finally had found his speech again.

"Hohoho, Barbara! Merry Christmas!" DI Tommy Lynley droned and actually gave her a kiss on the back of her hand. This way he was able to hide his blush for a moment. "I only can defer to Nkata's judgment."

"Ah, bollocks, Sir, and a merry Christmas to you too! I'm happy that you join us this year."

"Ah, it surely will be fun. And I still have time to drive down south tomorrow morning."

"I hope you haven't been waiting for long. I couldn't get this thing fixed into my hair." DS Barbara Havers shook her head to make the bobble bobbing again. "And then I missed the tube which additionally was completely overcrowded on the way here."

"Just a few minutes. You've missed Hillier's speech."

"What a pity!" Barbara's grin was so cheeky Winston knew immediately that she easily had been able to catch an earlier train.

"And you've got a new haircut." Lynley's hand went up as if he was about to touch it but then he let it sink again when he saw Barbara's eyes widen for a second.

"I thought it was time for something new, Sir."

"It looks good." Lynley could not help but size her up again. Nkata stifled a laugh. He even had to look somewhere else. These two were two of a kind, he thought to himself, and they were still oblivious. He shook his head. And they were so overdue.

"Well, should we leave?" DS Barbara Havers busied herself with looking for Santa's bag to hide her embarrassment. "It seems we have all things needed. The rest of the presents is in the van already. I've seen them waiting outside."

* * *

Together with several other festive groups the three left the entrance hall of New Scotland Yard. As if on cue it started to snow. If they were lucky, and today was a rather cold day, it would continue throughout the afternoon and finally replace the grey slush on the streets.

"How romantic." Lynley sighed.

"What's our tour?" Barbara asked trying not to let on any wrong feelings.

"St. George's Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital" Winston answered.

Barbara groaned. "It will take ages to get through all the units there."

"At Great Ormond we'll be supported by two other teams." Lynley explained.

"Two other Santas? Well, that sounds kinky." With a juicy grin Winnie looked at Barbara but she only rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. Ignoring the Constable's remark and climbing onto the back seat of the van Lynley added that they also would visit King Edward VII's Hospital.

"Oh, was it your idea, Sir?" Barbara griped following him. Rudolph Nkata climbed in next to the driver.

"No. Actually it was Hillier himself who said that _I_ should go there."

"Ah, their Lordships among themselves."

"You know, Barbara, even the children of my lot can get sick and I don't think they prefer staying at a hospital for Christmas, do you? We could entertain them as well."

"Sorry, Sir." she mumbled. "Of course you're right."

Together with many other colleagues the three detectives were on their way to London's hospitals to give all the little girls and boys there a special Christmas Day.

* * *

Around noon they arrived at the first hospital. There were parents and children in the lounge room already waiting eagerly. Three young PCs in uniform were giving out hot cocoa for the young ones and coffee for their parents. In the door Nkata jumped up and down and let the bells on his antlers jingle. Immediately all the heads turned and Santa Claus came in, followed by the elfish woman.

"Hohoho!" Lynley said with a droning voice. Barbara stifled a laugh. "Are there any good children?"

"Yeesss!" came the reply.

"Well, then I'm glad I have my bag with me. Ah, I'll have a glass of milk first. You know..." Heavily sighing he sat down on the huge chair at the end of the table. "it's been a long journey already."

This only was the first unit in the first hospital. Tommy hoped, and later was glad it came that way, he would keep his cheery mood and would not get bored with always saying the same. Fortunately it never was the same. All children had different questions and wishes and moods and so the three detectives never became tired on this charity marathon. They only became exhausted but the joy and happiness they had brought to the children was enough reward.

* * *

Tommy was the main attraction of course. He gave thousands of presents, listened to millions of wishes "for the next year" and had a hug for every child who wanted one. Oh, and there were billions of questions he had to answer, like where he lived or what he liked to eat or how fast his sleigh was. He told them that he had parked it on the roof of course and he was glad that they were escorted by "these three honourable officers!" which made the young uniformed PCs visibly proud.

Another question was for how long he knew Mrs Santa.

Tommy looked at Barbara with an expression Winston could only discribe as the deepest affection. Then he answered almost dreamily that he knew her for such a long time he had forgotten how life had been without her. The children did not recognise any of it but Barbara deeply blushed and had to look away. Gladly there was one of the smaller children needing help to climb onto the chair next to her.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **...**


	2. Chapter 2

**.**

 **.**

* * *

When he was asked why he had not come in the night or in the early morning Santa's excuse for being so very late was that he had heard of a traffic jam over Iceland where he still had to head to in the evening and that there had been such a horrible weather with rain and storm right over Australia where he already had gone to when everybody here had just been going to bed the day before. And once being asked why he would not appear every Christmas Tommy answered that he had to visit _eeeevery_ child in the world and only every now and then had more time to spend with just a few.

"This year I take a look around in London if there were any good children. And I see we have some _very_ good examples, haven't we?" He ruffled through a girl's short mop of hair. Her eyes shone like stars.

"Have you been to Edinburgh?" she asked.

"Oh, yes, I've been there two years ago. And last year I was in Rome. Do you know where that is?"

Some children nodded shyly and a bold boy said wisely "That's in Ittely."

"That's correct, young man. And next year my longer stop will be in Hong Kong, which is faaar, far away in Asia. Or..." Then his voice turned conspiratorially low. "...maybe we'll stop in Paris. It depends on what Mrs Santa here picks. She has the saying in such matters, you know..."

Of course Barbara had heard him very well but she only blushed when he looked at her with a wink and a nod and his eyes very obviously but silently asking what she _really_ thought about it. Only being busy with distributing small bags with cookies and sweets on the decorated table in the middle of the room she had time to think about his suggestion. No doubt it was alluring. Her Christmassy sensitive mind even made a mental tour d'amour through the city of love before her brain stepped in and asked her to focus on reality.

* * *

They also sang one or two short Christmas songs with the kids and wherever they were Santa gave each of them a small gift from the Met's own fund for charity. Usually it was a stuffed police teddy, sometimes a small police car with a beeping hooter or a woollen bobby hat, some even picked one of the checkered scarfs - whatever they wished for. Some parents had left presents for Santa to give them. Fortunately they had been instructed to choose something small so no child could be really jealous.

* * *

When they quietly tiptoed through a premature baby unit they had a tiny woollen bobby hat for every tiny human there. Their parents were deeply moved and so were the Detectives. The most dismayed was Tommy. He almost cried seeing the little babies in their incubators. When they were outside again Barbara briefly had taken his hand and squeezed it. She kept on holding his hand and giving him an inquiring and encouraging look until he nodded and smiled again.

With the bigger children there was a lot more jolly fun. They all had biscuits and cookies, small cakes and gingerbread and of course hot cocoa for every child who was allowed to indulge in these sins. Some unfortunately were not, like those in the isolation ward. It was a miracle anyway that they were allowed in that one. Barbara, who had done this charity four times already, told Lynley that they usually only waved and talked through a window pane. This time Mr and Mrs Santa were allowed to go into one. The furry reindeer made his jolly grimaces outside but for Barbara and Tommy the hospital staff had prepared sterile gowns in red and white with matching caps for them. On their surgical masks were little fir tree wigs and candles. Oh, that was a joy for the two pitiful inhabitants and for the two Detectives as well!

It was a Christmas present coming from Lafferty, a nurse told them.

"Ah, the old sarcastic turns weak." Barbara laughed.

"Remind me of thanking him that he for once had a heart." Tommy said to her.

* * *

In most of the paediatric wards there were lounge rooms that were decorated by the uniformed advance gard; with a big table for the treats and mostly a huge armchair for Santa to listen to the children. Barbara sometimes was Mrs Santa, for some she was just an Elf and for one or the other mother she was the baby sitter for their other children while they took their special time with the sick ones. One of the mothers gave Barbara her baby daughter while she helped her older son with two broken legs climb onto Santa's lap.

Santa's eyes were on his beloved helping elf. He watched her eyes shine happy when the baby answered her babbling with a drooling gurglish laugh. The baby girl grabbed her top and kicked a bit so Barbara soothed the tiny creature by rocking and swaying. When her eyes went to where Tommy sat their eyes briefly met shining similarly happy about the good things they were doing for the children today. They smiled at each other for a second that felt as if it would stretch into eternity before Tommy had to focus on the boy in his lap again. He cradled him so he would not slip off and they quietly talked about the young man's wishes.

Barbara kept on watching them with a lovely feeling inside. It warmed her heart how Tommy held his manly conversation with the boy until he gave him two presents. One from the Met and the other secretly given from his parents. A girl with funny pigtails already stood next to Santa's chair, eager to climb onto his lap, her movable drip at her side. Unfortunately Barbara had no chance to watch for longer because a howling Rudolph with three kids on his arms and on his back came gallopping by. Nkata really was an entertainer.

* * *

In one of the hospital lounge rooms there even stood an upright piano. With subtly sprinkled hints Barbara made the children claiming that Santa Claus should play for them. They were so cute and begged so lovely that he was unable to escape their wish. Skilfully he played two songs that everybody knew and they all sang together again. Then the children had other ideas and lost interest. There were new toys to play with and sooo many tasty gingerbread cakes!

For a while Santa Tommy kept on plunking a bit on the keys until he began a third song. Involuntarily Barbara started humming then suddenly sang with the tune. She sat at the table with a child on her lap who was munching gingerbread with great joy. When she started the two year old boy tried to sing with her but did not know the words for Twelve Days of Christmas except for the part with the rings he more or less babbled with her. He always laughed, when he managed to sing it with Barbara.

Another boy sat on the piano stool next to Tommy who was watching his Sergeant while he played. He had a few inappropriately romantic ideas he would one day tell her and the expression on his face was giving everything away. The parents would not say anything but in Nkata's mind a certain plan for the evening formed. It had something to do with a mistletoe. He hid his broad grin with a huge gingerbread cookie vanishing completely in his mouth.

From time to time the boy next to Tommy carefully hit a high note key. It did not fit into the tune but nobody cared. But every time he hit the note it shook Tommy a bit out of his reveries.

"Isn't she singing beautifully?" he quietly asked the boy who only shrugged. "I love listening to Mrs Santa's voice. She has the voice of an angel."

Nkata got a bad coughing attack and quickly left the room.

The little man gave Tommy a reproachful look. "But she's an Elf!" he unconfused the adult with an importance in his voice only a child can show.

"I'm sure her grand-grand-grandmother was an angel. So there's still a part of her that's angelic."

"That's not possible." the boy stated ignoring the enchanted smile on Tommy's face.

"Why not? It's Christmas. So many things are possible at Christmas." Involuntarily he sighed.

"Because..." Listening to Barbara singing the boy thought about a proper explanation but found none and gave it up. "Yah, perhaps it is."

She was singing all twelve days while Winston, who had returned, swayed in step with a three year old girl in pink pyjamas who had asked him for a dance. A pink drip on wheels danced with them.

* * *

All the singing and dancing and being merry was, as joyful as it at least mainly had been, really wearying. Tired and full of sweet memories the three detectives and their police officer helping squad of three parted in the late afternoon. It had been an exhausting but very fulfilling day and they all had to catch some breath for now because later there still would be the big party at the office for all who had taken part in this charity event. They would change into plain clothes at home first but then they would return to the Met at about 7 pm and meet again to celebrate Christmas.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **...**


	3. Chapter 3

**.**

 **.**

* * *

He could not drive off immediately. For a long while Tommy just had to keep sitting there and think about the wonderful afternoon. He had removed the cushion from his belly and tossed it onto the passenger seat. Then he stared out of the front window into the neon lit car park. The sexy sight of his Sergeant came back into his mind; her rather short dress, her well-shaped legs and everything else, the funny ears and her new sporty haircut. She had looked so fantastically cheerful and more female than ever today, he thought, apart from the days when they had to appear at court and she was wearing her suit. But that was business-female. Today she had been sexy-female, and so very cute with her elfish ears and her lovely rosy cheeks.

Tommy sighed. All the cutest and most loveable moments with the children came back into his mind and he remembered with a warm feeling in his heart how Barbara had looked at him. And how she had acted with all the children.

Sitting there in all the tristesse du béton his thoughts turned the boring view into his lovely home in Cornwall. Tommy could not help but begin to imagine Barbara at Howenstow, on a Christmas morning, wearing one of her funny pyjamas and thick woollen socks, a baby in her arms, watching a beautiful dark blonde girl already sitting under the Christmas tree playing with a new toy. Tommy pictured himself standing right next to her. He was about to put his arm around her shoulders when two brown-haired boys, barefoot and in almost identical night wear, came past them howling loudly, dashing through the gap between them and running to the tree with thousands of colourfully wrapped presents under it.

He imagined a fire crackling in the fireplace and snow falling on the other side of the huge window and everything looking white outside. It made him return to the here and now with a snorted laugh. He had palm trees and aloes growing in his Cornish garden, there surely would not be such an amount of snow, not even in winter.

"And before you think of having _four_ children with Barbara, which is highly unlikely in itself, it could be useful to tell her that you love her, you Cornish clown of an Earl!" he said to the reflection in the rear mirror. He furrowed his brows and inspected his beard. But how should he do this?

Then he had a brilliant idea, finally started the engine of his car and drove off into the slushy streets of London.

* * *

Barbara had taken the tube home. It had been annoying and she had regretted that she had not changed into her jogging gear she kept in her locker at the Met. The train had been packed with people and plastic bags and already on the platform she had felt some men's eyes on her. It had made her feel vulnerable and later she was glad that she always could rely on the special training she had as a police woman so she could feel safe on her way through the winterly darkness from the tube station to her flat. It also made her feel uncomfortable but the impact she obviously had on men was surprisingly nice. Seeing her reflection in the mirror at home again she did not wonder any more why her boss had grinned at her so many times today. Winston's hooting did not count. He was doing that all the time, even for no reason. But today Tommy, although he often had looked at her in a strange way lately which was disturbing anyway, had given her glances that definitely showed something mysteriously approving, something like a smitten expression.

"Shit!" Barbara mumbled. She should have worn something more decent for the charity tour through the hospitals, she thought, but then she cheekily grinned at herself. Or she could go on wearing it tonight and flirt like hell with Tommy. Immediately she frowned and shook her head. "As if that'd be fruitful..."

Angry she ripped off the stupidly cute elfish ears.

* * *

After a long shower and being hungry for something un-sweet Barbara made herself a pierce and ping meal. It was quickly done, from the fridge to the microwave and onto the plate, and definitely not too much after all these pastries. Over dinner she let the afternoon sink in. Chewing her cheap meal Barbara realised how deeply she actually had fallen in love with her boss. She was mentally, emotionally, rationally and even physically in love with him and this afternoon, working so close on this charity event with all these loveable moments with the children, only had made it worse.

He had looked rather dashing for a Santa Claus; not white haired but with only a few silver streaks, his beard full but neatly trimmed and not so long it would meet his chest, and even with his cushion belly everyone could see that he was well-shaped under his red and white coat. And when he had opened his "Book of Deeds" and had pretended to read with his glasses nearly slipping off the tip of his nose, the eager and fearful child on his knees awaiting the verdict, Tommy had looked completely adorable. He had played Santa Claus so very lovely and even though he always said that he could not cope with children he had done it perfectly well today. And the looks he had given her from time to time had shown her how much he had enjoyed himself. Unfortunately it had given her too many inappropriate ideas.

Barbara sighed. His looks throughout the day had made her nervous. With every glance he had shot at her, with every not so secret smile she had caught, with every stare across the heads of the little ones in the room despite an ongoing telling of a story from the child in his lap Barbara had more and more wondered about the meaning behind it. If there was a meaning.

* * *

Barbara knew she was a sad figure. She knew his looks were only owed to the spur of the moment, driven by this time of the year when everybody turned sentimental. This had to stop, she told herself while she put on her shoes and coat. She and the Inspector were the best of friends but that was all there was between them. No matter what she had read into his looks, she knew that her secret love never will be reciprocated by Tommy.

"Tommy." she murmured, letting her tongue once more feel how it was to say his name. Outside of her flat a car suddenly blew its horn. It must be the taxi. It was her Christmas present for herself: not to take the tube this evening.

She looked in the mirror near the door for a last time. "Yes, you idiot. You love him. He'll never know and he'll never..." she shook her short haired head so that the bobble on the spiral of her hat bobbed up and down again. "Ah! Now get a grip, stupid girl, and be jolly and don't let on anything!"

* * *

At New Scotland Yard, on the floor where the Department of Tax Crime was, a rather quiet department during Christmas, everything that was work related had been put away. Computers were stored in other offices, desks were pushed to the walls to create space for a dancefloor in the main office on the left side of the corridor and in that corridor a bar was installed. On the other side's open plan office the desks had been turned into decorated tables to sit at, with red table cloth, candles and fir tree wigs. It was quieter there so people could have a chat and eat and drink.

The smaller offices for the Inspectors were all dimly lit and their doors were held open by funny small but fat Santa doorstoppers thus keeping officers from having silly ideas inside. Still these rooms were little islands of calm in the sea of loud joy that raged in the other rooms. It had been a day full of different impressions and some of the participants might want to have a private chat. They had the chance to do it there.

* * *

A few minutes after her arrival Barbara met Winston who had showered here and had changed into jeans and T-shirt in the locker room. Driving home would have taken too much time for him and so he was one of the first party people on site. He already had had some champagne and was in a very good mood. Actually he already had turned up the volume of the music and was encouraging his colleagues to sing karaoke.

"Barb!" he exclaimed. "Let us hear your an-ge-lic voice!"

He stretched the syllables of that certain word and suggestively grinned. It made her blush and briefly glare at him before she had to laugh anyway. She never could be mad with the Constable for long. "I've sung enough today, Winnie. Just go ahead and pester someone else with your bloody karaoke stuff."

"Ah, you're a spoilsport, Barbie!" Winston laughed.

* * *

Walking around with a glass of egg-nog, secretly and against her resolutions from earlier, Barbara looked out for her Inspector. Here and there she talked a bit with one or the other colleague, mostly Constables today. To her own surprise she realised that over the years she had turned calmer. She recognised a politeness she had not had when she had started her career and meanwhile she even was able to have small talk even with colleagues she did not really know or did not like very much. Webberley would not believe his ears and eyes if he would have been able to witness what had grown from the forced partnership between Lynley and her, which nowadays was one of the best teams of the Met although they originally had been put together to drive them both out of the force.

"Service..." Barbara mumbled, mimicking Tommy's way of constantly reminding her of the official naming.

"What?" DS Clarisse Oswald from the vice squad asked confused.

"Nothing." Barbara grinned and raised her glass. "I was just thinking about having waiters here, carrying trays and such. My egg-nog is empty."

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **...**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** This is a shorter chapter which includes _text_ I definitely haven't written myself ;-)

* * *

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

Barbara had a lot of fun at this party although she constantly watched out for her boss to drop by. She almost was losing hope and thought he should already be on his way to Cornwall. Then Winston suddenly entered the 'stage' and ripped her off from the dark thoughts. It was not a real stage but only a corner of the room where the karaoke machine stood, separated with blue and white crime scene tape.

Winston actually was only in jeans now. His T-shirt had disappeared and was exchanged with nothing but a huge white classic fur around his naked chest. He also had Rudolph's red nose put back on and obviously already had another few of those glasses with champagne. He now waved one of these through the air with the hand that was not holding the microphone.

"Good evening!" he breathed into it letting his half closed eyes wander across the crowd of people until he decided he had gained enough people's attention. "I am... Eartha... Kitt."

His best buddies of the evening hooted and cheered. Then he began to sing _Santa Baby_. Barbara stood right next to him and still was chatting with DS Clarisse Oswald. It definitely was not by chance that Winston had started his show with Barbara standing right there. He obviously had waited for the right moment so he could directly address her with the first verse.

* * *

 _Santa Baby, slip a sable under the tree for she_

Winston pointed his chin in Barbara's direction.

 _'s been an awful good girl!_

Barbara glared at him. Clarisse giggled and kept her from leaving immediately.

 _Santa Baby, and hurry down her chimney tonight!_

Blushing deeply Barbara would have loved to vanish in a hole in the ground.

 _Santa Baby, a classical automobile too, dark blue_

Winston missed one line seductively humming into the microphone "Or any other colour..." He wriggled his eyebrows at that.

 _Santa Baby, and hurry down her chimney tonight!_

While he paraded across the so called stage Winston got back to the original lines of the lyrics. Even Barbara had to admit that he was a great singer and he was giving a great and sexy show. And he finally had stopped making the show at her expense.

 _Think of all the fun I've missed._  
 _Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed._

With fake annoyance Winston bumptiously rolled his eyes.

 _Next year I could be also good_  
 _If you'll check off my Christmas list_

Waving his champagne glass and letting the fur provocatively slip halfway off his naked shoulder Winston had sung the next verses but he could even do it better.

 _Come and trim my Christmas tree_

Here he let his pelvis roll like Elvis. He earned a loud cheer from his buddies but the rest of the listeners were not silent here either. They all were highly amused by the Constable's lascivious performance.

 _With some decorations bought at Tiffany._

He could shake his bottom in a naughty manner as well. Barbara had to laugh out loud and raised her glass to him. This show finally had turned enjoyable, even for her.

 _I really do believe in you..._  
 _Let's see if you believe in me!_

In that moment DI Lynley appeared. He still was in his Santa costume without the cushion belly but with his red and white coat open. There was a tight black T-shirt under it. He looked rather spent and nodded a greeting towards Barbara. With a grin he approved of Winston's show behind the police line. Barbara slightly shook her head and briefly rolled her eyes to the ceiling but the Constable took his chance nonetheless. He repeated the first lines once more instead of singing the original text. This time he addressed not only his Sergeant but also his Inspector in the red and white clothes.

 _Santa Baby, slip a sable under the tree for she_  
 _'s been an awful good girl_  
 _Santa Baby, and hurry down her chimney tonight!_

The giggles from his audience turned into laughs again, and laughs turned into loud laughter with each line sung now that there was Santa himself listening to DC Nkata's Christmas wishes. Lynley blushed but kept an amused expression on his face. He did not look at Barbara though or else he would have seen her trying to escape again. Unfortunately there was a wall of people meanwhile, all listening to the saucy presentation. She could not sneak out before this was over but she silently promised to herself that Nkata would pay for this.

Dearly so.

 _Santa Baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring._  
 _I don't mean on the phone._  
 _Santa Baby, and hurry down her chimney tonight!_

 _Hurry down her chimney tonight!_  
 _Hurry! Tonight!*_

* * *

Nkata earned a lot of applause from the audience but also a deathly glare from Barbara and a reproachful shake of Lynley's head. When the uproar had ebbed Winston's superiors finally had the chance to leave. Surely they were not the only ones who thought that it had turned warmer in the open plan office but most of the policemen and women stayed on the dancefloor there.

Animatedly talking Barbara and Tommy left the room towards the cooler hallway.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 _*Santa Baby_ \- Songwriter: Joan Javits, Philip Springer, Tony Springer  
It's not the complete text and some changes are made by me so it would fit here.


	5. Chapter 5

**.**

 **.**

* * *

"What took you so long, Sir? Where the heck have you been to?" Barbara asked sipping at another egg-nog. She chuckled and raised her glass to Tommy. "And why are you still dressed as Santa Claus?"

Her boss cleared his throat. "Ah, I had to run an errand and it took me quite a while. Then I got stuck in a traffic jam. You shouldn't drive near Piccadilly Circus on days like this, believe me... Well, in the end there was no more time to drive home and get changed."

"And still you've missed parts of this jolly great party!"

"And _you_ seem to have had one or the other jolly good drink already, haven't you?"

"Three or four of these egg-nogs. There's almost no alcohol in it. Just try!" Barbara offered him her glass and sharply inhaled when their fingers unexpectedly brushed. "Apart from that I really don't need a hangover tomorrow."

"A good resolution, Barbara." Unreadable he smiled at her. Quizzically Barbara narrowed her eyes but he did not explain his strange look further but instead got himself his own glass of champagne.

* * *

With their drinks they slowly walked down the hallway and into one of the Inspector's office, one of the islands of calm. Two floors upstairs it would have been his office.

"What was so important?" Barbara asked perching against the empty desk. She sipped at the creamy yellow liquid in her glass and gave him an innocent glance.

"You." Tommy bluntly replied. His face suddenly had turned serious and nervous in a way. It made her nervous too. She swallowed. They should not be here. They should be in the open plan office, where the safety of a crowd of people would keep her from getting into any trouble driven by her season weakness, her hopelessly romantic heart and the proximity to her boss offered by the small size of this room.

"What?" she asked with a shaky voice. She was filled with insecurity.

"You." Tommy repeated much calmer now that he had made a start. "Because I'd like you to accompany me on my trip to Cornwall this year. As I've told you before we usually meet with mother at Howenstow on Boxing Day."

"Yah, you've said that you've never let go of this tradition even in your worst times as a family. When you didn't reappear after our hospital tour I've already thought you'd be on your way." Barbara hesitated when the meaning behind his words had sunken in. He had invited her to his family meeting. "But what have I-?"

"You know, there will be the annual End of Season Play at Nanrunnel we usually visit and this year I want you to be my company." Tommy gave her an emerald green envelope. It looked rather formal and embedded in the corner there actually was his coat of arms. Hesitantly she opened it while he went on speaking. "Earlier today I... I realised how much you actually mean to me and that I want to be with you for... during the spare time we both were granted to between the years. So I've made a few calls and dealed with a ticket office here in London where I then bought this theatre ticket and..." He paused. Barbara's expression suddenly was unreadable. Tommy feared the worst. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess you already have a date? I didn't mean to-"

* * *

"No!" she hastily answered. "I haven't. I've only planned my usual... well, you know... watching..." Barbara looked to the ground. How could she tell him of her childish tradition to watch the old film version of Little Lord Fauntleroy. "Mh... TV and such... It's just... I can't accept that, Sir."

Barbara chewed on her bottom lip.

"Why not?" Tommy sounded more than disappointed. "If you only-"

"First of all things, it's a family thing." she explained.

He did not care about that and in his mind she already belonged to his family anyway. "Barbara, you're-"

"What would your mother say?" she cut him short because she very much cared what his family would say.

"She'd be del-"

"Second, I'd have nothing to wear."

Tommy shook his head. Of course she could even wear her Elf dress if she wanted. He would accept everything. "Barbara, jeans and-"

"Third..." she went on.

"Barbara..." he sighed.

Now her eyes went to the ground and picturing herself in cheap jeans and a simple blouse among his well-dressed noble family her voice turned quiet. "I'd feel misplaced."

* * *

"You wouldn't be." With a crooked finger Tommy lifted her chin. Her face glowed hot and although he would have loved to simply kiss away her fears he did not dare to. Stroking softly across her cheek he withdraw his hands again and smiled encouraging. "Not at all."

But Barbara knew that the entire village would want to know who she was and probably they would come to the wrongest of conclusions when she went to the play with the Ashertons. "And I also wouldn't want to become the talk of the town." she said, her eyes already trying to avoid his affectionate look. "Not even of the far away hamlet of Nanrunnel, Sir."

Tommy hoped that every one in the world and maybe even Barbara would come to the rightest of conclusions when she would be accompanying him and his family to the traditional play. "In every rumour there's a little bit of truth." he mysteriously said.

His words confused Barbara so much she gave him a quizzical look. Tommy inhaled.

"I'd love it if you were the truth in them, so I wouldn't care about these rumours." He made a small step towards her.

"The truth?" she frowned. She still did not understand his cryptic explanations. Or at least she tried not to think about what he could mean because it could not be true, she thought. "What?"

For several seconds Tommy stared at her unable to voice the three words that were hammering behind his temples. Like a coward he still feared that he had misread all the little signs of hidden affection and suppressed feelings Barbara had shown during the previous months. He had thought about it a lot lately, too much in fact, for too many lonely hours of the night, and the final realisation that he perfectly mirrored the feelings he thought she harboured for him had hit him only earlier today during the wonderful afternoon with all the children. When he had seen Barbara cuddling with one of the younger children at the hospital it had struck him completely and the sight of it kept coming back to his thoughts throughout the entire day. Today he suddenly had known what it was that he felt for Barbara.

"I love you." he whispered. It almost sounded like a question.

"No..." she said toneless. Anxiety and hope mingled in her expression. Her brows furrowed in disbelief but her happy eyes screamed _Yes!_ and Tommy understood. It was his turn to show her his feelings, to demonstrate his emotions, to let her feel his love for her.

He took the glass from Barbara's hand and placed it on the desk. Wide eyed Barbara watched him doing it. She was unable to protest. She even was unable to really move. He smiled. He took her hand and entangled her fingers with his and she responded. But she only dared to flatly breathe.

Softly Tommy pulled at her hand. It was just an invitation but without any resistance Barbara let herself be drawn towards him until she was leaning against his chest. There surely was more alcohol in the egg-nog or she would not have ignored her usual objections in this moment. Although she felt undefined pieces falling into the empty spaces where they obviously belonged for too long a time there still was a bit of uncertainty shining in her eyes. But she let the wonder happen.

"I love you." Tommy repeated with a firmer voice. "More than anything else."

* * *

"Ah, here you are!" Nkata suddenly came stumbling into the room with two other Constables. Miller had a bottle of champagne they seemed to join and Smith carried an enormous branch of mistletoe. He waved it through the air and walked into the direction of the two people drowning in each other's eyes. Winston stopped dead in his tracks and his eyes became big. With one hand he stopped Smith from going further.

"He, what-?!"

"Sh!" Winston cut him short without taking his eyes from Havers and Lynley.

But the couple did not look to what their colleagues were up to anyway. They were excluded from the rest of the world by the sizzling tension that had built a cosy bubble around them. Their eyes were locked and they would not see anything else.

"If you don't mind..." Tommy whispered and moved his face a bit closer to hers. Her hands went up to his waist where the broad black belt of his Santa Claus coat was. Involuntarily she pulled him closer to her. When the hairs of his neatly trimmed full beard tickled her chin Barbara's eyes fell shut and she moved her face even closer to where she knew his. She had given in to the sensation of this heavenly moment.

"Not at all." she whispered against his face. Their warm breaths mingled. The smell of egg-nog mixed with the champagne he had had. The hint of her perfume was blended with the familiar scent of his aftershave and the sum of it made her slightly but pleasurably dizzy. "Tommy."

He also closed his eyes. They both kept on smiling contented with the world and everything. Unimpressed by the presence of their colleagues their lips finally met in a tender kiss. Finally they actually were oblivious to anything else but each other and rather quickly the hesitancy of the first cautious touch turned into a slow and intense kiss.

* * *

"Ah, spoilsport." Winston slurred with a huge grin and pulled the other boys away from their superiours before they would start to whoop. DS Barbara Havers and DI Tommy Lynley obviously did not need the subtle help of a mistletoe anymore.

They finally had found their own Christmas miracle.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you all for your reviews and support. I wish you a merry, merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate these days and, if we don't meet again, a wonderful and happy new year!

 **Tess**


End file.
